The Avondale Arms

Gallowgate Port, Gallowgate, Glasgow.

James Warnock, Spirit & Ales, formerly the Avondale Arms.

The Avondale Arms was situated at the Gallowgate Port, the city’s eastern gate. It was a half slate half thatched roof, whitewashed inn. Landlady Helen Whitehead hired out noddies, small horse-drawn carriages) for her customers, who were mainly travellers and carrier workers on their way to Strathaven.

The Gallowgate at that time had hundreds of advertising signs or swinging signs as they were more commonly called, it wasn’t just the old inns and taverns that had them, almost every shop and business in the Gallowgate Trongate and Saltmarket had them, this meant the the streets became very dull as the sunlight couldn’t reach the ground. The authorities put this to and end to try and brighten the district up again.

Helen Whitehead had a swinging sign outside her premises, stating,” All ye that pass through Gallow Moor, Step inside Helen Whitehead’s door, She’s what will cheer man in due course, And entertainment for his horse.”

Wine & Spirit merchant James Warnock occupied these old premises for over thirty years. He belonged to the family of well known wine & spirit merchants in the Gallowgate for many years.

The Avondale Inn, Gallowgate, to the east of Charlotte Street, had a notice, “Two noddies always on hire”; and this vehicle is described in Jamieson’s Scottish Dictionary as a covered-in vehicle on two wheels, entered from behind. Another discription says it was a square-covered box for four, with another box for the driver, on low set wheels and entered from the side over the wheels, with folding down and up steps.

To read more on the pubs on the Gallowgate read up & Doon the Gallowgate by John Gorevan. A copy can be bought for a few pounds at the Hielan Jessie on the Gallowgate or contact me at[email protected]

Facts…

Other Gallowgate Inns.

In the 1840s the Gallowgate had other notable Inns and Taverns including the King William, occupied by Robert Blair. William Buchanan had the Elephant, Mrs Burns ran the Hamilton Arms, the Douglas Arms was named after the owner James Douglas, Thomas Hay had the Coach Close Inn, The Black Bull was occupied by William Laurie, Mrs Montgomery owned the Crown Inn, the Heart in Hand was occupied by Thomas Renison, the Welsh Rabbit Inn was owned by William Taylor and the famous Black Boy Tavern was run by John Stark.

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